Held annually since 1989, the parade in the 13th arrondissement has become a familiar early-spring event for Parisians. From early afternoon, main streets in the Asian quarter, stretching from Avenue de Choisy to Avenue d’Ivry near Place d’Italie, were filled with spectators. Accompanied by drums, gongs and festive music, lion and dragon dances moved along the streets, creating a lively and colorful atmosphere.

Alongside art troupes from various Asian communities, groups from Antilles-Guyane joined with vibrant Caribbean dances, showing France’s openness and its respect for cultural diversity. The convergence of traditions gives the festival a distinctive character, serving not only as a traditional celebration but also as a symbol of multicultural life in Paris.

Within that broader picture, the Vietnamese delegation continued to make a clear mark. Following 2025, when Vietnam joined the event for the first time after the festival was officially renamed from “Chinese New Year” to “Lunar New Year”,  the Vietnamese community in France this year further enriched the overall cultural picture.

Performances of traditional martial arts, the Ao dai (traditional long dress) and Vietnamese folk dances drew strong attention and applause, affirming the increasingly clear position of Vietnamese culture in France’s multicultural life.

Singer Laroche Valmont, a well-known French voice of the 1980s with the hit “T’as le look coco,” later translated into Vietnamese as “Xuan yeu thuong,” said he was honored to join the parade for the first time at the invitation of the Association d’Amitié Franco-Vietnamienne.

This year coincides with the 40th anniversary of both the parade and the Vietnamese adaptation of his song, making the occasion particularly meaningful for him.

Ava Mathidle, a young French participant in the Vietnamese delegation, shared her pride in representing Vietnam and other Asian communities in France at the symbolic event. She said the festival provides an opportunity for cultures to be presented in a spirit of respect and sharing.

Designer Precious by Lexie said she joined at the invitation of the Vietnamese community in France and regarded it as a great honor. Her collection presented at the parade combined Asian and African styles, drawing inspiration from the cultural space of Indochina-Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia-contributing to the creative diversity of the festival.

Dom Aujollet, a representative of the Vietnamese traditional martial arts school Kinh Van An in France, said practitioners were pleased to perform alongside various Vietnamese clubs and associations. Participation in the festival, he said, goes beyond a performance, serving as an opportunity to introduce Vietnamese traditional martial arts to the local public.

Dang Giang, President of the Association d’Amitié Franco-Vietnamienne, said this was the second year the association has taken part in the long-standing festival in the 13th arrondissement, regarded as Paris’ emblematic Asian quarter.

The official presence of the Vietnamese delegation, she said, aims to promote national identity while helping French friends gain a fuller understanding of traditional Lunar New Year celebrations across Asia, including Vietnam. While customs vary by country, all share common values of family, reunion and new beginnings.

She added that an increasing number of Vietnamese shops, restaurants and businesses are operating in the 13th arrondissement. The community’s participation in the festival brings pride to those living and working there, while affirming its positive contributions to the economic and cultural life of the French capital.

In addition to its presence at the festival, the Association d’Amitié Franco-Vietnamienne seeks to strengthen connections with overseas Vietnamese from other Asian countries as well as with the French public.

The increasingly confident and professional participation of the Vietnamese delegation in the Lunar New Year parade is not merely a cultural imprint but also evidence of the proactive and sustainable integration of the Vietnamese community in France.

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